May Networking Events/Seminars

The Berkshire Business and Professional Women will meet on Monday, May 3, hosting adventurer and art historian Dudley Levenson, who will present the photo lecture "Images of Women from Classic, Tribal and Emerging Cultures." 

Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner and the presentation to follow at 6 p.m. The cost is $28; reservations are required. This month's meeting will be held at Jae's Spice on North Street, Pittsfield. For more information and reservations,contact mphillips@greylock.org.

The Tanglewood Business Partners Committee will hold a cocktail reception to pitch the rewards of creating a business partnership with it, on Monday, May 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Blantyre, 16 Blantyre Road, Lenox.

On Wednesday, May 5, Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, will host "Solar Energy for your Community or Business: A Closer Look at Medium and Large Scale Solar," from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Speakers include Sen. Benjamin Downing; Chris Vreeland, professional engineer and renewable energy consultant; and James Barry, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Suggested attendees include muncipal leaders, department of public works directors, business owners, large landowners, architects and builders, facilities directors, nonprofit directors, farmers and business managers; admission is $20. Registration is required; register at www.regonline.com/cetsolar. For more information, contact Wendy Penner at wendyp@cetonline.org or Amanda Dubrowski at 413-445-4556 ext. 10.

The Small Business Administration is putting on a Small Business Recovery Expo on Thursday, May 6, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, in Murdock Hall, 2nd floor, on the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts campus, North Adams.

A panel of speakers from federal, state and local organizations will dscuss how they are able to assist your business. The panel will be followed by an expo where attendees may visit with these organizations; two free workshops on business financing and SBA programs will follow the expo.

Speakers include Bob Nelson, SBA Massachusetts director; Mayor Richard J. Alcombright; Michael Supranowicz, president, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce; and Andre Porter, executive director, Mass Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Representatives from MCLA, MSBDC, SCORE and financial institutions will be present.

Register for the event here.

On Friday, May 7 the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is hosting an "Eggs and Issues" breakfast featuring Scott Soares, Commissioner with Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), who has been recognized as a strong advocate for agricultural interests in Massachusetts. The event takes place at Crissey Farm, 426 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

Admission is $10 for Berkshire Chamber members, $15 for nonmembers; register here.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold an informational meeting about written information security programs (WISPs) on Friday, May 7 at 9 a.m. Featured speakers Kathleen McCormick of McCormick, Murtagh and Marcus, and Ryan Belanger of Ascentek will address legal and technological issues. The event is free to Southern Berkshire Chamber members, but an RSVP is required to sbcc@rnetworx.com. The event will be held at Berkshire Community College South County Campus Room S1; contact the chamber at 413-528-4284 for more information.

On Thursday, May 13, the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will have a Business After Hours event at the Nutrition Center, 94 West Ave., Great Barrington. RSVP to visitor@southernberkshirechamber.com.

On Wednesday, May 19,  the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a Chamber Nite at The American Legion, 41 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free for Berkshire Chamber members and their employees. Complimentary hors d'oevres will be served. Register here (for members only).

Berkshire Creative is putting on the BeCreative BarCamp, an event designed for members of the Berkshire creative economy to share their ideas, projects, resources and innovations, on Wednesday, May 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Shakespeare and Company, Lenox. The event is free. To learn more, sign up to present, or to RSVP (by Monday, May 17) visit becreativeconference.com or call 413-822-8324.

The Berkshire Visitors Bureau is hosting a free talk on arts and culture on Wednesday, May 19, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at The Mount, 2 Plunkett St., Lenox. Businesses are invited to share ideas and hear what others are doing to encourage collaborations and facilitate packaging. For more information, contact the bureau at 413-743-4500.

Berkshire Art Kitchen, 400 Main St., Great Barrington, will hold a series of quick, hands-on seminars on social media for artists, writers, musicians and entrepreneurs. BAK is offering the seminars on a sliding scale ($20 to $50 per person; pay what you can). The schedule is as follows; all classes are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MySpace Monday: May 17
Twitter Tuesdays: May 18
Wordpress Wednesdays: May 19
YouTube Thursdays: May 20
Facebook Fridays: May 21

One-on-one tutorials or special group sessions are available. Contact berkshireartkitchen@gmail.com or 413-717-0031 for more information.

On Wednesday, May 26, Custom Business Solutions will host the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce's Networking Night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 148 Main St., Williamstown. The event is free and open to  chamber members and their employees. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will be offered.

For more information, contact the chamber office at 413-458-9077 or info@williamstownchamber.com.

April Networking Events/Seminars

Legacy Banks will host a breakfast workshop for small businesses on Thursday, April 1, from 8:45 to 10:15 at the Legacy Financial Center, 99 North St., Pittsfield.

State Rep William "Smitty" Pignatelli and and former North Adams Mayor John Barrett III will be the featured speakers at the event, which will focus on steps that businesses can take to overcome obstacles in a difficult economy.

The program is free and open to local business owners/leaders on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 800-292-6634 to reserve a space.

Williamstown Wellness, 610 Main St., will be the site for the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours event on Tuesday, April 6. The event, which will include healthy snacks, a raffle, and a tour of the Tasha Yoga studio and massage therapy treatment room, runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and costs $10.

Raffle items include a half-price massage with Nicole Methot, LMT, a  Dr. Hauschka skin care basket, and a half-hour private yoga session with Tasha Judson, certified Anusara yoga teacher. Proceeds from the event will go to the Mt. Greylock Regional High School Wellness Department to purchase yoga mats for students to use in gym classes.

Reservations are required; contact the Chamber at 413-458-9077 or info@williamstownchamber.com.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is having a Business After Hours Event on Thursday, April 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Webster-Ingersoll in Sheffield. RSVP to visitor@southernberkshirechamber.com.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber plans a Chamber breakfast featuring Sen. Ben Downing on Friday, April 23, at the Route 7 Grill, Great Barrington. The breakfast runs from 7:45 to 9:15 and costs $20 for Chamber members; $25 for nonmembers. RSVP to sbcc@rnetorx.com.

SPARK!, the networking group for Berkshire creative professionals, is holding a networking event on Wednesday, April 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Barrington Stage Company, 30 Union St., Pittsfield. People working in art, culture, design, innovation and technology, whether in industry or the arts, are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact info@berkshirecreative.org or call 413-822-8324.   
 

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts continues its free "Tricks of the Trade" professional development seminar series for artists, with a focus on helping artists secure residency programs. The workshop schedule and speaker list is as follows:

Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m.: MCLA Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams: Heather Phillips (Director, Contemporary Artist Center at Woodside)

Wednesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m.: Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Ave., Pittsfield: C. Ryder Cooley (Artist)

Thursday, April 15, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School, 13 Willard Hill Rd., Stockbridge: Calliope Nicholas (Residency Director, Millay Colony for the Arts)

Advance registration is required. For more information, and/or to register, contact MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center Program Coordinator, Jessica Conzo, at 413-663-5253 or Jessica.Conzo@mcla.edu.

There will be a SPARKettes networking event for those working in the visual arts, on Tuesday, April 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Jae's Spice, North Street, Pittsfield. The free event includes hors d'ouevres and a cash bar; RSVP here.

Berkshire Community College and the Employers Association of the Northeast are offering free training sessions on a variety of topics:

Friday, April 2, 8:30 to 4:30: "Introduction to Quality Management," BCC Main Campus, Classroom H219

Wednesday, April 7, 8:30 to 4:30: "Statistical Process Control," BCC Main Campus, (classroom tbd)

Friday, April 9, 8:30 to 4:30: "Problem Solving and Decision Making," BCC Main Campus, Classroom H219

To register, contact Kathleen Dion at 413-236-5252 or kdion@berkshirecc.edu or Shannon Miller Pignatelli at 413-236-2126 or spignate@berkshirecc.edu

The Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce will host a membership event on Monday, April 26, from noon to 2 at The Shaker Mill Tavern, 5 Albany Road, West Stockbridge. The theme for the event is "Show and Tell," an informational presentation of the area's summer and fall cultural activities.

Featured speakers will be from the Berkshire Botanical Garden, Naumkeag, Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, The Clark, The Bidwell House, Ventfort Hall, The Mount, The Mission House, Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshire Theatre Festival, MASS MoCA, Chesterwood Museum and Jacob’s Pillow.

The event is open to the public and the cost for lunch is $15. No walk-ins will be accepted; reservations must be made by noon on Wednesday, April 21. Contact Barbara J. Zanetti at 413-298-5200.

On Thursday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network will hold the workshop  "Your First Business Plan." Topics will include business planning, financing and marketing. The presenter will be Keith Girouard, regional director of the Berkshire Regional Office of the MSBDA; the workshop takes place at the MSBCA Berkshire Regional Office, 75 North Street, Suite 360, Pittsfield.

The cost is $25; make checks payable to the University of Massachusetts and mail to the MSBDC, 75 North Street, Suite 360, Pittsfield MA 01201; register online at www.msbdc.org/berkshire

Network with Berkshire Young Professionals

Berkshire Young Professionals, a program of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, will host a Networking Social at Rouge Restaurant and Bistro, 3 Center St., West Stockbridge, next Thursday, March 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Young professionals from around the county are invited to enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and networking. The event will include a cash bar and attendees are encouraged to bring business cards in order to enter into a free gift drawing.

The event is open to anyone who lives or works in Berkshire County; registration is required. To register, call 413-499-4000, extension 26, e-mail byp@berkshirechamber.com or register at www.berkshirechamber.com.

Berkshire Young Professionals’ events are open to all professionals and students living and/or working in Berkshire County. Events are hosted at popular venues throughout Berkshire County to foster networking opportunities for young professionals to build their careers, build friendships and enrich the community.

Berkshire Chamber 'Eggs & Issues' Features Alcombright

New North Adams Mayor Dick Alcombright's a popular guy at chamber breakfasts. If you missed him at the Williamstown breakfast last month, he'll be speaking next Wednesday, March 24, at a Berkshire Chamber of Commerce "Eggs & Issues" event at the Bounti-Fare in Adams.

The Berkshire Chamber hosts the informal breakfasts to allow members to hear about topical issues with local and regional experts and officials. The last breakfast was held at Hillcrest Educational Centers with Sen. Ben Downing (also a frequent favorite lately at area chamber events).

Wednesday's event, sponsored by MountainOne Financial Partners, will run from 8 to 9:30 and feature a light but we'll bet tasty breakfast, based on past experience.

The cost to attend the event is $10 for Berkshire Chamber members and $15 for nonmembers. Sign up by contacting Christine Hoyt at 413-499-4000, Ext. 26, or choyt@berkshirechamber.com or at www.berkshirechamber.com.

We'll see you there.

Berkshire Chamber Sets Open House in N. County

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is holding an open house on Monday morning from 8 to 10 at its North Adams office at 6 West Main St. Volunteers, members and potential members are invited to attend and find out what the chamber can offer.

Attendees will meet the staff and be able to learn more about the many volunteer opportunities offered through the chamber as well as the benefits of membership. Businesses that are not part of the largest business-support organization in the Berkshires are also invited to attend the open house to learn more about the many benefits of chamber membership.

For businesses considering joining, March is a good month to do it. Along with regular benefits, the chamber is offering more than $1,500 in incentives for businesses that join during the month.

March has been developed as a "Membership Month" with the small-business or sole-proprietor owner in mind.

"By increasing the size of the chamber's membership base, businesses and their employees will realize a greater return on their investment," according to Jen Glockner, the chamber's membership manager. "With more businesses participating at our networking events, our attendees will have a much greater opportunity to develop new relationships. And, as we increase in size, the chamber's advocacy efforts represent a larger constituency creating an even stronger voice on business and legislative issues."

The following members will be offering discounts and/or freebies to new members: New England Newspapers (including The Berkshire Eagle, Nort Adams Transcript, and The Advocate), Custom Business Solutions, Winstanley Partners, MacFarlane Office Products, BBE Office Interiors, CompuWorks, Berkshire Coupon.com, Berkshire Jobs.com., iBerkshires.com (Editor: that's us!), Vox Communications (including WBEC, WUPE, WNAW, and WSBS), WJ Blueprint, Berkshire Print Shop, and Quality Printing Co.

Annual membership dues start at $255 for businesses with five employees or less. Applications are available at www.berkshirechamber.com. Business owners can also find out more by attending the open house on Monday or contacting Glockner at 413-499-4000, Ext. 17.